trichogyne

noun

tricho·​gyne ˈtri-kə-ˌjīn How to pronounce trichogyne (audio) -ˌgīn How to pronounce trichogyne (audio)
: a slender terminal prolongation of the ascogonium of a fungus that may serve as a fertilization tube
also : a similar reproductive structure in a red alga

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, from tricho- tricho- + -gyne, borrowed from New Latin -gynus "situated (in a specified place) in relation to a female organ," borrowed from Greek -gynos "relating to or having (such or so many) wives," derivative of gynḗ "woman, wife" — more at queen entry 1

Note: The term was introduced by the French botanists Jean-Baptiste Édouard Bornet (1828-1911) and Gustave Adolphe Thuret (1817-75) in "Sur la fécondation des Floridées," Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des Sciences, tome 63ème (juillet-décembre 1866), pp. 444-47.

First Known Use

circa 1875, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trichogyne was circa 1875

Dictionary Entries Near trichogyne

Cite this Entry

“Trichogyne.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trichogyne. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!